Date:08/09/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/09/08/stories/2007090858980400.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Stone laid for Rajiv Swagruha project

Chief Minister takes the aerial route to reach Pocharam

Police make elaborate security arrangements
All villagers in the district to have house-sites

— Photo: G. Krishnaswamy

On cloud nine: Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy talking to the beneficiaries of Rajiv Gruhakalpa at Annojiguda village in Ranga Reddy district on Friday.

POCHARAM (Ranga Reddy): Amid extraordinary security, Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy laid the foundation stone for Rajiv Swagruha Housing Project for middle class families in this village in Ghatkesar mandal, about 25 km from the city, on Friday.

Hours after suspected Maoist blasted a land mine targeting former Chief Minister N. Janardhana Reddy and his wife N. Rajyalakshmi in Nellore district, the police provided elaborate security for Dr. Reddy’s visit to Annojiguda and Pocharam villages. The venue of the function, incidentally, was 3 km. away from the flyover where a land mine blast had killed the then TDP Minister A. Madhava Reddy.

Dr. Reddy flew here by helicopter from the city. He inaugurated Rajiv Gruhakalpa Colony where 2,816 flats were constructed at Annojiguda.

None except Ministers Botcha Satyanarayana, P. Sabita Indra Reddy and G. Chinna Reddy, besides a few senior officials, was allowed around him. He hopped in to the chopper to reach Pocharam, 2 km. away, to lay the foundation for 2,604 houses.

The entire area was sanitised and every vehicle that entered the road was checked. People who came to attend the meeting were thoroughly frisked.

However, the police could not prevent CPI (M) workers from disrupting the meeting when Dr. Reddy got up to speak. They waved party flags demanding house-sites. Notwithstanding his plea for calm, they continued slogan-shouting. The police rushed to pacify them.

Dr. Reddy told the gathering that the housing programme was aimed at reaching saturation point. “We want every hut to be converted into a pucca house,” he said, adding that by October-end all villagers in Ranga Reddy district would have house-sites.

MP Sarvey Satyanarayana, M. Manik Rao, P. Sudhakar Reddy, MLCs, AP Housing Board Vice-Chairman and Managing Director B.R. Meena, AP Rajiv Swagruha Corporation Managing Director Shalini Mishra and Ranga Reddy Collector Praveen Prakash were present.